2014 saw a flurry of activity at our place. I signed up for (and even ran some) fitness challenges, lost the rest of the weight I had hoped to lose and then some, learned how to can fresh veggies, learned how to make/bottle/cork wine, got crafty with essential oils and natural ingredients to make bath salts, scrubs and lotions, got a halfway decent pay increase with additional responsibilities, made amends with people previously on my shit list.

We had a couple of health scares, I fired my primary care physician and found a kinder, gentler and super cool new doc, lowered my bad cholesterol to ridiculously happy numbers, kept the blood pressure under control, went to the dentist more than a body SHOULD go to the dentist, and had a lot of happy gas. (ZOMG! Let me just clarify this “happy gas” was dental nitrous oxide and NOT me grinning and farting, okay? Gawd, I hate when it is twelve hours after I publish before I find a horrific wording faux pas!)

While the entertainment industry was losing beloved entertainers, I lost three friends this year; two to medical issues and one to a head-on collision. They will continue to be missed.

As official empty-nesters (I haven’t had offspring under my roof since May), we created a home-gym space concurrent with my falling and breaking my ankle. The boot is history, and I’m learning how to walk without a limp, but still a little lot restricted as to what I can do in the weight room.

Out of boredom, I picked up my crochet hook and went to town gifting my friends with hats and scarves, booties, afghans and slipper socks. I binge watched a LOT of television; finished Dexter (finally), watched both seasons of Orange is the New Black, and am currently addicted to Sons of Anarchy. I have turned into such a streaming freak that I am seriously contemplating putting a streaming dongle in my home gym so I can wile away the time on the treadmill rehabbing my ankle in the company of Jax Teller and Gemma. (And ‘streaming dongle’ just sounds kinda tacky, doesn’t it? ;))

So here’s a photographic 2014 flashback:

This sums it up – StayPuft, snow, and disaster. 😉

How *I* think it looks…

Mayor Al King and me.

This is a security issue where I work, apparently.

These are going to provide veggies this summer!

Halloween fun…and it WAS So. Much. Fun…

Our first “haul” of the season. Yum in salad!

Chillin’ on the deck.

Happy gas selfie!

Canned Jalapeños.

They aren’t skerred!

Noble Muscadines in the sink.

Damn, that looks like it hurts…

Yes, Virginia, there IS a Thanksgiving bird! 🙂

This is so true…

Homemade goodies

Where shall I put the treadmill?

Infinity cowl with Lion Brand Amazing Yarn

How totally cool is this?

What’s on the agenda for the coming year?

For the short-term, I have 3 pairs of slipper socks promised, another baby blanket in the works, the second batch of Hell Hath No Fury Red fermenting in a bucket, and a treadmill on its way back to my house (at which point I can start walking again, yay!) so that I can start moving further. Professionally, I need to learn a LOT (and soon) about Universal Precautions, wheelchairs, and how to take a currently dysfunctional group of people working against each other and help them learn to become a cohesive team of healthcare professionals. I also hope to start a couple gallons of Mead this weekend. (Wine is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.)

For the long term?

Let’s keep all the weight off. 🙂 I also hope to be able to squat my body weight, deadlift twice my body weight (I don’t give up), max out my lifting PR’s, run another 5K, turn 50 looking better than I ever have (or at least just turn 50, because let’s face it – aging ALWAYS beats the alternative), be an amazing grandma, continue to be as kind as possible to my fellow human beings, even if they are crazy and maybe don’t treat me in kind. I also plan on watching ALL the remaining seasons of SOA, as well as all the seasons I missed of Californication, because I love me some David Duchovny. 😉 (Because streaming dongle, amirite?) Garden goes in this spring, more canning, more veggies (more corn!!!!), continue to keep a good work/life balance, and OMG! I really want to have more time with my friends. I am also going to finish that personal trainer course and get my certification.

I think that about covers it.

You’ll also notice that I don’t refer to any of these things as “resolutions” because that automatically puts a “FRAGILE” stamp on ever single one of those planned activities (or goals, if we want to call them that) and fragile things have a way of falling off shelves and breaking, sooooo…

What’s on your agenda for 2015? Are you going to learn something new? Change careers? Lose weight? Make new friends? Spill, people! I’m nosey enough to want to know what ALL of you are doing this year. 🙂

Happy New Year!

…Until Next Time…

PS… I found the following through my blog travels to people visiting mine and am looking forward to trying to pull this off:

I love finding new and interesting projects and sites to follow. For you hooking fiends out there? Check her out!

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About Julie the Workaholic

Mom of three (grown) sons and one (grown) step-daughter, wife of one, friend of many, and owned by seven 4-legged critters, writer, photographer, friend, huge fan of life, and most of all, lover of all things beautiful .….Getting healthy, and hoping to make a dent in the world in a most positive way! (And then there's my alter-ego, the Workaholic, who is me, just unfiltered.)

Happy New Year you awesome lady you. You really are an inspiration Julie.
I am really trying to get my health in check this year. 2014 was not great for me, healthwise.
Here’s to a healthy, happy and hilarious 2015 ❤️